Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas thinks the 2034 World Cup is a bridge too far for Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who faces Spain at World Cup 2026 on Monday night.
Jenas believes the legendary Portugal forward should step back from international football after the conclusion of the current showpiece in Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Contrasting the GOAT contender with Argentina star Lionel Messi, Jenas thinks that while Portugal is full of talented players in their current generation, Ronaldo’s needs may hamper the national team in a way Messi’s do not.
Portugal face Spain in a round-of-16 showdown on Monday night (8pm kick-off UK time).
Banging down the door
During an exclusive sit-down interview with 10bet, ex Tottenham star Jenas said of Ronaldo: “The first thing that hits me is he should stop.
“But then I’m thinking about the Portuguese squad, and whose place is he taking?
“Is there a youngster out there that’s absolutely firing for Portugal, banging down the door the way that he was when he was 17 years old, when he had to deal with Rui Costa and Luís Figo and all those flair players?
“You have to take it off him. I think there’s an element of both.
“I do believe he’ll retire after this World Cup. Personally, I think he’s won the European Championship and he will know it’s a step too far after this World Cup anyway.”
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Retirement the right thing
Jenas continued: “There’s obviously the Saudi thing that’s lingering in the air, but the Saudi World Cup is in 2034, so you’re not hanging around for that.
“Therefore, I think he’ll retire, and it’s the right thing for him to do.
“He’ll walk away from international football as one of the top three to ever wear their country’s shirt, from goals scored to things won to what he has achieved for that country.
“It’s been a shame at times watching him for Portugal and seeing the criticism that he still gets. It’s not really necessary, in my opinion.
“But you do feel that it is a bit of the Ronaldo show when Portugal play, whereas Argentina and Messi don’t have that feel.
“So he’s always going to get beaten with that stick, unfortunately. But I think he’s okay to deal with it.”
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Big dogs in defence
When asked if Ronaldo gets a harder time because Portugal often look to him to save them, Jenas added: “I might have agreed in the past, but on this occasion, it’s hard to completely agree with that.
“When I look at them defensively, Nuno Mendes is a Champions League winner, and then you’ve got Rúben Dias, a Champions League winner, in there as well.
“You’ve got a couple of big dogs in the defensive areas.
“The midfield is stronger than strong with [Bruno] Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and João Neves.
“It’s a stacked team that just doesn’t seem to function in Ronaldo’s area. That’s all.
“Between him, Leão and Gonçalo Ramos – who came on and scored the goal the other day – they just don’t seem to get it right, so that’s up to [Roberto] Martínez, but it’s a stacked team.
“I don’t really enjoy watching them play for some reason. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it is because they’re all playing to Ronaldo’s tune, who knows?”
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